MORE ON IRRELEVANCE AS THE KEY TO MISSION

I have a read an article in the last year that examines the mission of the first three centuries of the Christian movement. The author says some thought provoking things. First, there is no instance in the writings of the church leaders of this period of anyone being exhorted or trained to evangelize. Second, the church not only did not appeal to non-believers through its worship, only those seekers who had made a public commitment to baptism were allowed in worship -- and only for he preaching of the Word -- they were dismissed when the church went to Holy Communion -- literally locked out!! Three, there is no evidence of any large evangelistic campaigns or movements. YET, THIS WAS THE PERIOD OF SOME Of THE GREATEST OR MAYBE THE GREATEST EXPANSION OF THE CHURCH IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY -- WHY??

The author argues that the church presented a stark alternative to the surrounding culture of how life was to be lived and that the church was deeply and radically engaged in ministry to the outside culture. This may sound like it contradicts what I wrote above, but it doesn't. There were not large evangelistic campaigns, but the church did have a reputation for inviting the poor into their homes, bringing home baby girls, who were commonly left out to die, and raised them, etc.

Their vision of worship and community was serious -- it was not used as a marketing tool. Their service to real people was so outrageously full of extravagant love that they could not be ignored.

Oh, a few were also eaten by lions -- the way they died blew people away.

Maybe we need to look at how the church then was "irrelevant" but radically engaged in loving people and offering a living an altrenative to the brokenness of our world-- maybe that is the key to mission in our context.